S03:E18: Chapter Fifty-Three: Jawbreaker

[Bort]

Quote

When a tainted batch of fizzle rocks makes its way through Riverdale, Jughead and FP set out to find who’s responsible. After asking Veronica to help get him into an upcoming boxing tournament, Archie quickly learns he may be in over his head. Elsewhere, Betty makes one last attempt to rescue Alice from The Farm’s grip, and Toni becomes unsettled by a sudden change in Cheryl’s behavior.

Airdate: Wednesday, April 17, 2019

[tennisgurl]

Betty: "Mom is crazy, I am nothing at all like my psycho dad! And after I went to the effort to chloroform her and lock her in a tunnel and handcuff her to a bed...oh..."

[Snookums]

Oh Betty; it ain't your fault your crazy family raised you in Riverdale. I can see why the Farm is so popular around these parts: it probably feels like Old Home Week to most of the characters.

While Betty's last ditch attempt to Dark Betty her mom back to sanity was ridiculous and over the top, as is usual on the show, desperate family members have kidnapped their loved ones out of cults many, many times; the film Holy Smoke shows one fictionalized version of this if you're not doing anything. And of course the infuriating thing about trying to rescue somebody from one of these organizations is that they don't want to be rescued! They truly think they're loved and cared for, and a talented, charismatic leader can oil their way out of just about any argument that "rational" people can pose.

 Edgar's going to a suspicious amount of trouble to keep Alice around. So far, the only people we've heard of seeing dead loved ones are her and Cheryl. Is there a connection? Cheryl has money, but Alice isn't wealthy, and her new job is courtesy of the Farm. Hmmmm.

Betty's fear of being a monster is being expertly manipulated by Edgar, but it's not coming from nowhere. She's severely traumatized and hasn't dealt with the fallout of her father at ALL (even though no one else has brought it up even once so it's not like she's being ostracized) and now every time she shows strength or anger she's starting to worry that it means she's "got darkness in her" or whatever. Unfortunately, that appears to be leading to the ludicrous-even-for-Riverdale idea that Hal wants to come home? 

Ha ha ha NO. This guy is an admitted SERIAL KILLER. The only place he's going besides his cell should be courtrooms and the gas chamber. However, Penelope apparently is slipping in for conjugal visits, so why not????

Speaking of ludicrous, let's swing by the Sheriff's office, which is run by an ex-felon and his underage son, who apparently do every single lick of police work here, including stakeouts, interviews, and not sending wounded and drug-crazed people to the damn hospital (that, unfortunately, is all too real in many cases) when they're not listening to Doctor Ghoul exposit on the idea that you can bleed to death by having your teeth pulled. Hey, guys? Here's an idea: if you really want to clear Fizzle Rocks out of this town, maybe pull in some actual adult cops? You're going to have your hands full with rescuing your recently remembered daughter/sister.

Hey! Josie and Kevin's Dad were in the same building! Maybe next week they can actually interact and he can inquire after his cult-stolen son and invisible new wife! Meanwhile, Archie's story is, as per usual, deeply boring and reliant on the idea that a teenager is running a gym while training other wannabe fighters while merrily skipping school for weeks at a time. 

(Ugh, though, it hurt to see Luke Perry do his scenes--in a way, he was the kind of ghost Toni and Betty are trying to get Cheryl and Alice to see. He's right there, but he's gone.) 

[tennisgurl]

Archie was so awkward when he was reading off the cue cards, its hilarious. I wish we could have had more Archie/Josie, but she was at least she was at his match, so thats something at least. I would have easily traded a scene between them for the one with Archie and Veronica. 

Edgar is just a manipulative dickhead, but I can at least see why he appeals to messed up people. Of course this is Riverdale, so his supply of deeply screwed up traumatized people is basically endless. The guy will probably be elected Mayor by the time the season ends. 

It still hurts so much to see Luke Perry show up. He just has this amazing earnestness to him, like a port in the storm of camp and insanity. His scenes with Archie are always so human, I ache to think of how they will write him out, and what the show will be without him.

[thuganomics85]

I totally love that Jughead is pretty much just FP's deputy now and no one seems to be bothered that a high school kid is allowed on his cases and interrogate suspects, while the few other cops Riverdale seem to have to just hang back.  At this point, he'd be allowed to carry a gun and badge by the end of the season, and no one would blink an eye!

So, Cheryl truly is fully buying what the The Farm is selling, but now it is Toni's turn to go undercover and work with Betty to save Cheryl and Alice.  Because that worked out so well last time, huh?

How in the hell does Hal think he's going to get out of prison after he actually confessed to his crimes?!  Then again, it is Riverdale.  He could somehow end up as the new mayor in this fucking town!

Archie gets his Rocky back on and wins the match this time!  But.... his opponent might be dead?  I'm sure it will be because of whatever drugs he was on, but knowing Archie, it will still end him on another epic guilt trip!

Looks like the show is possibly deciding to make Archie/Veronica happen again.  Fred's reaction to it was great, at least.  I will miss him and Luke Perry.  Don't want it to be over.

We did get a couple of Archie/Betty/Jughead/Veronica scenes, which I once again enjoyed and really wish we got more of the core four interacting with one another.  Ah, the good old days!

[HunterHunted]

Now that Jellybean is getting kidnapped by the G&G faction of the Gargoyles, Jughead has to out his mom's dealing.

Cheryl, you know Jason's dead. She saw his corpse, which they buried in the family cemetery. The video is one thing, but she actually saw his dead body.

How does Hal think he's getting out of prison? He's an able-bodied serial killer with no remorse or boundaries. I guess Hal can convert and become a Farmie.

Edgar Neverever is capable of miracles. He's bringing people back from the dead,  making most of the town ignore the rampant drug crisis and ritualistic murders, and he's also getting parents who had previously been depicted to be attentive ignore that their children are living a freaking cult. Sierra cannot possibly be that good in bed that Tom failed to notice that his child is gone.

[Advance35]

For some reason, I always thought Veronica being a Lodge was a mark against Veronica in Fred's eyes.  After the whole mess you couldn't blame him.  But he didn't seem adverse to Veronica in the slightest.  Ribbing Archie like he knew all along he and Veronica couldn't be just friends.

Veronica seems a bit skiddish after everything that's happened, with not just Archie but Reggie too.  Understandable.  But I love that she still comes across as thirsty.   When she was in the Suana and giving Ellio's friend the eye.  I swear she was grilling the boy's towel.

When she gets older, Veronica is going to be a cross between Erica Kane and Blanche Deveroux. LOL.

As for Veronica herself, smart move to goad Ellio into letting Archie box. 

The Police Department needs to turn to Jughead to work a crime scene?  Well Archie owns a gym, Veronica runs a Speakeasy, Betty thwarts all evil that attempts to take over the town.  Why not I guess. LOL.

[AnimeMania]

Favorite scene: Betty pins Evelyn against the locker and gives her a taste of her loco. Evelyn attempts to fight back, but is no match for Dark Betty's cray-cray.

I also liked the "Farmer's Strut" up and down the halls of Riverdale High.

[Snookums]

9 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I'm sure it will be because of whatever drugs he was on, but knowing Archie, it will still end him on another epic guilt trip!

Off to Canada to wrestle another bear!

[meggonzo]

Were these the last scenes that Luke filmed?  I was thinking that they were filming or about to film 3.19 when he died.

Did they say last season what happened to the real Charles?  Chic was an impersonator, correct?  And is Chic presumed dead?

[AsiagoSauce]

Okay, so I'm a little late to the discussions here cuz I've let the episodes pile up on my DVR but has anyone else noticed the that Jughead has gotten a lot of "enhancements" lately? His face is so filled with toxins and fillers that he's completely lost any characteristic that made his face recognizable.  The scenes that were filmed pre and post fillers are so jarring.  His face looks as tight as his mom's now!

[Wilpen]

6 hours ago, meggonzo said:

Were these the last scenes that Luke filmed?  I was thinking that they were filming or about to film 3.19 when he died.

Did they say last season what happened to the real Charles?  Chic was an impersonator, correct?  And is Chic presumed dead?

I wish I could answer your question about the real Charles and Chic. I am wondering the same. It's so confusing. If anyone knows, would appreciate it.

Regarding the episode...

The scenes between Lili Reinhart  and Mädchen Amick were so good. Wow, they are both amazing actresses. In the end, it makes sense why Betty lets her mother rejoin The Farm. She realizes no matter what she does (and yes, she did go to an extreme, but we see so many shows also going there, even Veronica Mars) but she tried so hard to save her. She does have Toni though and can I just say how much I adore the Betty/Toni partnership? 

"You're a daughter who wants her mother back, just as I want my girlfriend back," Toni tells Betty. Hopefully these two figure it out together, especially with Toni directly inside now and those idiot Farmies not suspecting a thing.

Betty's fear of being a monster makes so much sense and I love when Toni without hesitation told her she is not a monster. I loved that moment. Not that Betty seemed to be totally over her fears but it was still a great scene. Betty is not over what her psychopath father did. This is very true. Her mom abused her well before this time too. It's no wonder Betty is questioning her sanity/darkness. She will get through it. 

But Hal wanting to come home... I mean, in what world is that even possible? Even in Riverdale's world there's no way... but I am sure he will try to once again manipulate his daughter's mind in order to get there, even in a crazy way. I am slightly worried about Betty... not too much with Edgar and The Farm based on what Edgar said to Betty... Betty doesn't need them, Alice, does. This is true. They don't even want Betty. But my fear is more about Hal and what he might do to her. Hope she stays strong.

Toni and Cheryl had some great scenes (so much chemistry between the actresses, you can feel how close they are off the screen) and while it's disappointing to see Cheryl still addicted to The Farm (even if it makes sense because, like her cousin, she hasn't dealt with her demons either, with the death of her brother on top of the list)... their moments were nice.  

Really hope Archie doesn't go find more bears if that idiot boxer is really dead. He suspected he was on something so if he's thinking straight, he will know blood testing will prove he died due to the drugs, not the fight.  

Archie/Veronica having a moment. Fred's reaction to them was spot on. So much chemistry still between the characters. I just hope when they reunite, it's not all physical once again. Please, show. Allow them to talk and have an emotional connection too instead of just having sex every couple of minutes. They are better than that. 

We did get a couple of Core 4, Archie/Betty/Jughead/Veronica scenes. I really hope they continue. 

The actor who plays Kurtz is crazy good. He looks scary just based on nonverbal communication. Jellybean is now in the clutches of the Gargoyle King... really wish Jug would have mentioned that Gladys is currently in charge of the drug operation in Riverdale. I know they are saving this reveal for the worst and biggest possible moment (probably the season finale) but for storyline and character purposes, it should have happened yesterday.

- Loved when Archie was eating a ton of burgers and said he feels like Jughead. Nice nod to the comics.

- Thanks to Cheryl, we now know that kombucha brewing is one of The Farm's regular activities.

- I still can't believe FP or Jughead have zero police experience yet they are running the town.

- Alice as a reporter showed up in this episode even with everything else going on, especially between mother/daughter.

- I have a feeling there's twist after twist with Edgar. His backstory is going to be very interesting. 

- Evelyn looked terrified when Betty threatened her. Good. She better be scared.

- Edgar's slip up about "miracles" gives us a clue as to how he's making Alice and Cheryl believe they are seeing deceased love ones. 

- Jughead eating all episode was hilarious.

- When Betty casually tells Toni her dad's calling her... it seemed so abnormally creepy. Like... that shouldn't be a natural comment from Betty... he's a psychopath. She literally has no one though for family. Father's a psychopath, mother's out there and has been so horrible to her for years, sister's a flake. 

Looking forward to the next one!

Lastly... there's speculation flying around that maybe Jason's not dead. 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Wilpen

[Dobian]

It was fun watching Betty almost out-crazy her mother by chloroforming her and holding her prisoner.  I'd like to see Betty go more dark side and start donning the black wig again too.  Time for dad to bust out of prison and help Betty embrace her psychotic side.

First episode I think I've seen in a long time that was Lodge-less except for Veronica.

The rest of the episode...meh.

[SourK]

LOL. The first time someone on this show "has to go to school" and it's an excuse to leave her mom tied up in a bunker somewhere.

Also... it's more annoying to divorce someone if they won't sign the papers, but it's not impossible. Plus, didn't Alice already forge his signature on the papers she used to liquidate Betty's college fund?

On 4/18/2019 at 12:21 AM, Snookums said:

Speaking of ludicrous, let's swing by the Sheriff's office, which is run by an ex-felon and his underage son, who apparently do every single lick of police work here, including stakeouts, interviews, and not sending wounded and drug-crazed people to the damn hospital (that, unfortunately, is all too real in many cases) when they're not listening to Doctor Ghoul exposit on the idea that you can bleed to death by having your teeth pulled. Hey, guys? Here's an idea: if you really want to clear Fizzle Rocks out of this town, maybe pull in some actual adult cops? You're going to have your hands full with rescuing your recently remembered daughter/sister.

FP is a super sad character to me and, I think, not always for reasons the show intends. In this case, he's obviously not qualified to be Sheriff, and so he asks his teenage son to come interrogate suspects for him, and then his son is like "Who sold you this stuff? Is it the exact guy I already believe sold you this stuff?" And the suspect's like, "Sure." *sigh*

Imagine if you were just a normal person living in Riverdale and every key position in your community was held by one of these bozos. Imagine what you would have to resign yourself to.

On 4/18/2019 at 3:37 AM, HunterHunted said:

Now that Jellybean is getting kidnapped by the G&G faction of the Gargoyles, Jughead has to out his mom's dealing.

I love that Jellybean was just like, "Nobody remembers I exist or cares about me!" as the day just went longer and longer and the sun set and she followed some random kid out to the woods. Way to turn your oversights into a plot point, show.

[AsiagoSauce]

1 hour ago, MollyWebber said:

Cole hasn't had any work done. He still looks exactly like his twin, especially now that he's gone back to blond for the hiatus. Unless both he and Dylan got the same work done at the same place at the same time, which is doubtful. 

I know he has allowed them to put more makeup on him this season, which may explain why he looks different to you. They typically only used a facial spray and some concealer to cover obvious blemishes. Other than that he wore no make-up which is why the dark circles were more prominent and he looked more "natural".

Sorry for the confusion, I was referring to a scene in episode 14 where Jughead and his mom were talking on their coach. I noticed that his eyebags were missing and his forehead was suspiciously immobile. Makeup can conceal dark circles but they can't plump the skin underneath.  The transition between his eyes and cheeks was smooth and the concavity was gone entirely. Since that couch scene, his face has looked like his normal self, so it might have been filmed more recently.